Grammar Discussions

[marki]

This happened for real, place Germany, Berlin about 2 years ago, at the AVIS underground car park Tegel, I over heard one employee talking to another. Complains why "this" tourist/visiting person to "his" country(Germany), does not have the gall to learn (his) the German language before arriving.
.....this is the gist of the conversation after I asked for an explanation it quickly dissipated...... thankfully not representative of the the rest of the people I had the pleasure to meet. It goes to so that there are "Xenophobic" people not only in "Please explain" our corner of the world!

 

[JessicaTam]

Some sounds in other languages are very hard to get exactly right. This is where it should be okay as long as you are getting your point across without offence - I know how in some languages the slightest mispronunciation is the difference between something benign and a grave insult!

I was learning German for a fair while and my tutor would insist on every letter being perfect. One day I mentioned I knew Dutch and German people who had lived here for 30 years but still couldn't pronounce their 'th' sounds correctly and we could still understand them perfectly. After that she was more lenient.

Apparently I speak German with a dutch accent. Go figure.

 

[anat0l]

Some sounds in other languages are very hard to get exactly right. This is where it should be okay as long as you are getting your point across without offence - I know how in some languages the slightest mispronunciation is the difference between something benign and a grave insult!

I was learning German for a fair while and my tutor would insist on every letter being perfect. One day I mentioned I knew Dutch and German people who had lived here for 30 years but still couldn't pronounce their 'th' sounds correctly and we could still understand them perfectly. After that she was more lenient.

But as you say, in some languages a slight mispronunciation can make a big difference in the words. That quite rarely occurs in English.

In some cases in non-English languages, context can be used to distinguish the correct word from one which is perhaps used incorrectly (as we frequently sometimes do in English when words are misused or pronounced incorrectly). However, there are certainly cases where even this is difficult or impossible.

Hungarian* is one such language where mispronouncing the consonants or vowels in a word can change the meaning considerably, but not always deducible in context; for example, the Hungarian tizenegyedik "eleventh" vs. tizennegyedik "fourteenth".

Apparently I speak German with a dutch accent. Go figure.

I could possibly see that happening, especially if you tend to speak with a rather "soft" pronunciation / endings compared to the "hard" ones of German. Not to mention that to the unintelligible, both languages can sound the same.


* My hovercraft is full of eels.....

 

[defurax]

But as you say, in some languages a slight mispronunciation can make a big difference in the words. That quite rarely occurs in English.

Many non native English speakers struggle with the importance of pronouncing the "h" e.g ate/hate, ore/cough, etc.
I've heard this one in a French restaurant: "Australia is a country rich in iron cough"

 

[anat0l]

Many non native English speakers struggle with the importance of pronouncing the "h" e.g ate/hate, ore/cough, etc.

I never thought about that.

Certainly my father still pronounces 'th' as 't' followed by a "puffed" h as in the word huff, so "three" sounds more like "tree", though luckily in most contexts he is understood.

The first one could be a slight doozy, "I ate pie for lunch," instead of, "I hate pie for lunch."

The second one, well, you'd hope that you would never have to use those two words interchangeably in a certain context, and if you're really lucky, no need to ever say the second word!

I guess the only example of the second could be something like:

The continued existence of several Queensland towns will be dependent on the discovery of more ores. :mrgreen:

 

[marki]

MADAME DE GAULLE
When Charles de Gaulle decided to retire from public life, the British ambassador and his wife threw a gala dinner party in his honor. At the dinner table the Ambassador's wife was talking with Madame de Gaulle.
"Your husband has been such a prominent public figure, such a presence on the French and International scene for so many years! How quiet retirement will seem in comparison. What are you most looking forward to in these retirement years?"

"A cough," replied Madame de Gaulle. A huge hush fell over the table. Everyone heard her answer... and no one knew what to say next. Le Grand Charles leaned over to his wife and said, "Ma cherie, I believe ze English pronounce zat word, 'appiness!'"

 

[anat0l]

May be and maybe

Just to be clear, these are correct uses of those confused words?

There may be a chance that the flight will be unable to leave on time tomorrow.

If we are able to find a replacement part tonight, then maybe the flight can leave tomorrow.

If you do not present yourself at check-in at least one hour prior to departure, your ticket may be forfeited.

Maybe if you had left for the airport a bit earlier, you wouldn't be late for check-in.

I know there's plenty of auto-lexicons which will combine the two words mechanically.

I've tried to use both of them in the same sentence, but each example I think of sounds clumsy (you could eliminate one of the words and it sounds a lot cleaner).

 

[Deleted member]

The use of "off" when they mean " from"

"off of" also gets up my nose

 

[amaroo]

speaking of furhter/farther... I'm guessing that's already been covered up thread? But it reminds me of the airline company that splashed a huge 'We take your cargo further' decal on the side of their aircraft :shock:

circa 1989.......

 

[JohnK]

Which reminds me of the Texan word "fixinta" - as in "I'm fixinta mow the grass"

Or "gunna". As in "I'm gunna do this and I'm gunna do that"

Fair and fare

Steak and stake
Brake and break
Plain and plane (does anyone get this one wrong)
Wrung and rung
Plait and plate

Shear and sheer

Learnt and learned

And probably mentioned earlier

Grammar and grammer

Tyre and tire

Waive and wave

Poor, pour and pore

Fowl and foul

May be and maybe

Just to be clear, these are correct uses of those confused words?

Sometimes I have to think about it.

"Maybe I am wrong."
"I may be wrong."

Tales and tails

"You have some interesting tails to tell?"

Spell prompter must get in the way.

Scent, sent and cent

All pronounced the same?

 

[robd]

Sometimes I have to think about it.

"Maybe I am wrong."
"I may be wrong."

The more I read this thread, the less sure I am of using correct grammar :-|

 

[JohnK]

The more I read this thread, the less sure I am of using correct grammar :-|

How do you think I feel?

 

[SeatBackForward]

The more I read this thread, the less sure I am of using correct grammar :-|

Where its required (don't forget)

Using my analogy before, you don't need to put on your finest Sunday best if you're just visiting your friends.

 

[Spongbob]

Is this thread a dialogue or trialogue ?

 

[JessicaTam]

Is this thread a dialogue or trialogue ?

A polylogue perhaps?

 

[get me outta here]

I read in today's Fin Review an article by Richard Wakelin on property investment. He referred to, "Far from the Maddening Crowd" instead of 'Far from the Madding Crowd' (Thomas Hardy's book 1870s).

At this point I may be called a pedant, but in using that quote, he may as well get it right.

 

[Pushka]

Unless he was trying to be clever?

 

[whatmeworry]

I have posted this previously, but always gives me a chuckle about the "quality" at CSL.

 

[Rox]

That reminds me of the ad in the Oz years ago by the Victorian Police Farce

 

[medhead]

I have posted this previously, but always gives me a chuckle about the "quality" at CSL.

Hopefully, they got a good candidate.